Who are you? Do you even know who you are? I mean, do you really know who you are or you just think you do?

I always thought I knew who I was. I spent 17 years of my life living as someone I thought I was. Occasionally altering a few things such as my sense of fashion or the hairstyle I liked thinking that was who I was. I also tried to get attention and self-worth from people to make me feel happy. However, it never made me happy, I always felt like something was missing, I wasn't whole. So, from experience I can boldly tell you that your identity does not lie in material things or in other people.

Your Identity is in Christ. If you haven't found Christ then you haven't found your identity, it's really that simple. I know you're probably thinking "no way Sharon, I definitely know who I am".

But the bible says God created mankind in his own image. This means that you actually won't find yourself or know who you are until you find God and know who he is. It's just like how you can't see your reflection until you stand in front of a mirror or something that shows a reflection of yourself. Therefore, since we are made in Gods image, we will only see who we are when we go to him. It can be quite difficult for you to accept if you thought you knew who you were. But ask yourself this question " Am I truly happy, do I feel at peace when I'm alone, do I know my worth and my purpose for being in this world?" If your answer to any of that is No, then here are some tips to help you to find your identity.

- Find Christ!

The bible says, 'Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you' Matthew 7:7. Ask God to come into your life and to reveal himself to you. Be really persistent, speak to him, tell him how you feel, tell him that you want him to show you who you are. What I love about speaking to God is that I can be myself and cry to him without feeling judged. Just go to him and tell him how you really feel. You'll be surprised how quickly he will respond to you!

- Study the bible

The bible is literally the book of life, your identity is in the bible. It will direct you in the way you should go. You'll find out how much God loves you and all he desires for you. I really love the bible because no matter what I'm going through, it has the solution in there and it helps me to grow in Christ.

- Ask God for the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is given to us to be our helper and our teacher (John 14:26). You should aim to be best friends with the Holy Spirit. He's so amazing, he will literally direct you in the way you should go. Mistakes can be avoided if you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. I love the fact that I can talk to him 24/7. He comforts me in my time of distress and takes me closer to God.

- Go to church

Believe it or not, going to church is one of the ways to find your identity. Do not separate yourself from the body of Christ trust me hearing the pastor preach each week strengthens your faith. Remember, Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  If you don't have a church already, find a good one that you can see yourself growing in Christ in, a welcoming one so that when you have any problems you can easily seek help. If you're unsure about what church to go to, pray about it.

- Join a department

At your church, you should find out what departments there are, e.g. ushers, choir, media …Etc. And join one of them, if you can sing join the choir. Joining a department helped me grow drastically with my walk with Christ. It keeps you focused on God, and when you are busy doing things for the kingdom of God, there will be no chance of you slipping back into the world.

- Surround yourself with people in Christ

As the saying goes, birds of the same feathers flock together. The more you surround yourself with Godly people, the more your desire for God will increase. Trust me on this one, Godly friends help a whole lot. There's no need to be with friends who will take you back into your old habits and make you lose your identity and purpose. Be wise with who you hang around with. Iron sharpens iron!

Prayer for you - Dear Lord, I want to find true happiness and peace from this day onwards. Help me to find my identity and to know my worth in you. Surround me with people who will help me to draw closer you in Jesus name, Amen.